NFL Trade: Dallas or Baltimore Possible Roddy White Destinations

Despite the Atlanta Falcon’s 4-0 start to the 2015 NFL season, veteran wide receiver Roddy White is not happy. The former first round pick of the Falcons expressed his displeasure in his playing role under Dan Quinn and Kyle Shanahan, saying he’s not getting enough catches. He’s currently fifth on the team in receiving with six catches for 92 yards on 12 targets

The 33-year olds role has transitioned from an electric pass catcher to a blocking receiver in the Falcon’s new offensive scheme.

White spoke to ESPN about his displeasure within the Falcons new offensive system under Kyle Shanahan:

"For me, at the end of the day, I want to catch passes. I’m not out here just f—ing around just to sit around to just block f—ing people all day. It’s not what I want to do. I’ve contributed to offenses for this franchise for the last nine, 10 years. It always bothers me when I go out and don’t catch any balls in a game because it hasn’t happened in so long.I’ve watched the film. We’ve watched the film weeks and weeks and that’s not a problem, me not getting open. I’m open, but it’s not in the progression. Matt’s not looking at it, and that’s the type of guy he is. He’s a 1-2-3 progression guy. We don’t get off script, which is good. We’ve been winning that way for a very long time, so we’ve got to be consistent."

Since being drafted in 2005, White has become one of the leading scorers in Atlanta Falcon’s history. He’s the franchises’ all-time leader in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns. He also sits at the top of the Falcons’ single season receptions list, but has been passed by Julio Jones in the most receiving yards per season category. He does although hold 5 of the top 10 receiving yards per season slots, and 3 of the top 5.

White’s biggest white whale is the elusive Super Bowl ring. As of right now, the Falcons are set to have the “easiest” path to a Super Bowl according to some of the analysis around the league. If he were to be traded, those hopes could be diminished.

One team desperate for help of any kind would be the Baltimore Ravens. They lost guys in free agency and to injury, leaving them with next to nothing at the receiver position. They did acquire Chris Givens from the Rams, but he’s known to be a one-trick, vertical running pony. A veteran voice among young receivers could do great things for the one-win Ravens.

Dallas could also be a possibility. While Dez Bryant will be back in about a month or so, the surrounding cast could use some upgrades. Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley have filled in well, but can they sustain it if Bryant suffers a setback? An insurance receiver in White could bolster Dallas’s chances of winning within a putrid NFC East.

January 10, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (13) celebrates with running back Fozzy Whittaker (43) after he scores a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half in the 2014 NFC Divisional playoff football game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The third and final team I’ll mention is the Carolina Panthers. Now of course, the idea of trading within your own division could sound sour to some. The Panthers lost Kelvin Benjamin early in the preseason and Devin Funchess has had injury issues of his own. Currently

Philly

Corey Brown and Ted Ginn are the Panthers staring receivers. Similar to the Cowboy’s situation, adding a proven, veteran voice to this squad could push them ahead in a sub par division.

All-in-all, I thing it’ll be tough for the Falcons to stomach moving White. While he’s not as electric as he once was, his status in Falcons history is too great just to toss him away. Trades mid-season in the NFL can be difficult to pull off, but the possibility is not completely ruled out. For now, White will have to settle down in his role as a blocker and help the Atlanta Falcons win a Super Bowl.

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